Just a few days after the Labor Party was forced to drop a web site attacking former Liberal leader Troy Buswell, the Liberals have lodged a complaint with the Electoral Commission over what it says are misleading Labor ads on uranium mining.
Below is a letter from the Liberals' state director Ben Morton
01 September 2008
Warwick Gately AM
Electoral Commissioner
Level 2, 111 St Georges Tce
Perth WA 6000
Dear Mr Gately,
I write regarding false and misleading advertising authorised by ALP State Secretary Bill Johnston for the Australian Labor Party.
The advertisement I refer to is currently being broadcast on television and can be viewed on the ALP campaign website (www.visionwa.org.au).
The advertisement relates to uranium mining and is misleading in two distinct areas.
Firstly, The Liberal Party in Government will not allow uranium to be exported through ports that require transportation through residential areas.
Secondly and more concerning, the advertisement makes an explicit statement at the conclusion. The statement "WA doesn't need nuclear waste" is immediate followed by old and completely unrelated footage of Colin Barnett saying "Yes they do".
Labor's advertising is intended to create the false and misleading impression that Colin Barnett and the Liberal Party support nuclear waste being dumped in Western Australia. We do not.
ALP State Secretary Bill Johnston is well aware of the real facts, yet he has chosen to authorise the production and airing of this deceptive misinformation. This TV advert was clearly constructed with the deliberate intent to mislead the people of Western Australia in the lead-up to Saturday's State election, by dishonestly using old and completely unrelated footage to mislead people into believing that Colin Barnett supports nuclear waste dumps in Western Australia when he does not.
Can you please investigate this as a matter of urgency and report back to me on what steps you can take to remove this un-factual and deceptive advertisement.
Yours sincerely
Ben Morton
State Director
